A Most Forbidden Flower

[Jewelskye]

Centered in the heart of a desert, a kingdown flourishes among the sand dunes, inhabited by a race long used to the desert heat and sun. Such a sun beats down on the capital of the kingdom, hitting the sunbleached walls of the wealthy and poor alike.

At the center of the city was settled the massive dwelling of the Sultan, one of many scattered throughout the expansive kingdom. In this dwelling the Sultan made his most common home, and it was also the rumored birthplace and permanant dwelling of one of his many children.

Of the many daughters the Sultan's wives had borne him, only one had never before been seen, not even as a babe. This of course was the most talked about rumor of the kingdom. The most common of these rumors was that he kept her locked away because she'd been born deformed and he didn't want anyone in the world to see her for fear they'd do her harm or think less of his lineage.

Others said that she'd never been seen because she didn't live long after birth. Only a few knew the truth about the mysterious princess of their kingdom, and no others had ever tried to discover it for themselves.

~~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~~

Twenty two years prior, this kingdom had been ruled by another family, and the laws had been completely different. The rulers had been known to be more benevolent and kind to their people, the place flourished as its people grew happy.

This was not to last, however, as another, larger kingdom saught to take over and add both kingdom's land together.

The night it happened was one of fires, screams, and nightmarish scenes of slaughter. Only a few supporters of the old government managed to flee into the desert that night, and most believe them all dead.

OOC:

I'm looking for any myriad of characters here, and I will be playing the princess and any NPCs that may be needed. Please, before you start posting send me a PM telling me what you plan to play and give me a basic character sheet/description so I can be sure it will work.

Name: Yasmin
Age: 18
Hair: Raven's wing black, thick, silky, waist length
Eyes: Gold, almost wolf like
Skin: Cream colored, pale
Build: Petite, lithe, curvy

Personality: Quiet, shy, and kind, her sheltered upbringing has brought her to personally know only three people in her life: Her mother(who died giving birth to another child when Yasmin was only 7), her father, and her nurse. She's come to look at her nurse as a mother, and the woman has taught her much about being a good person. She has a love of music and dance, though she's only allowed to indulge in these in the privacy of her living quarters. She doesn't mind the heavy, numerous veils she's worn her entire life, the fabrics only allowing those around her to see her eyes and a bit of her forhead.

 

[fukensploogin]

Ali

Name: Ali
Age: 21

Ali exists as a result of that bloody night when the Sultan led his forces to take over his parent's prospering, peaceful country. Ali's mother was young nobility, newly married, new wealth gained in the markets of their prospering economy. Their expansive new house was ransacked and burnt to the ground by the invading troops, who cut down the young husband and gang-raped his wife, and then enslaved her. She gave birth to Ali nine months later, and died in childbirth.

Ali was left, in a basket, at the door of a temple, where he was found by the priestess and raised, until he was 16, when he had learned all he could from the temple, and went into the world.

It has been five years now, and what he has learned torments him nightly. He hates the Empire. He has seen the brutalities of their regime first-hand, on the streets of this once-great city, now a chaotic, dirty shell of its former self.

Ali, at 23 years old, is a powerful man. He moves swiftly and gracefully on well-trained sandaled feet, silently if he wishes. He wears the simple robes of a monk and carries only a staff. He has been a thorn in the side of the Empire for a few years now, and the higher-ups among the rebels know he is as trustworthy as he is dangerous. They have just been given Ali a mission: he must sneak into the Sultan's grand new palace, and bring them back a map of the place, so they could be prepared to attack. They had a very formidable force, city residents fed up with the Empire, well armed and just waiting for a signal.

He was nervous... he had been training all his life to get inside the palace. He had no idea what awaited him inside, but he couldn't wait to find out.

IC: what appears to be an old, hunched over man dressed in priests robes and clinging to a tall walking stick is slowly skulking past the gate to the Palace, the only known entrance. The Palace is surrounded by a twenty foot wall and a hundred feet of wide open space on either side of the wall, and the great palace rose to the sky inside.

The old man turns and looks at the Gate. It is nearly noon, and activity at the plase was bustling, the Gate to the Palace open, a steady stream of carts and people coming in and out. Trusted merchants and trusted nobles were the only ones allowed inside the Wall and into parts of the Palace.

Amongst all the activity, no one notices an old monk, and no one noticed at all when the old monk deftly took three quick steps, hit his staff to the ground and leapt into the air, landing on a bunch of bananas in a passing horse-drawn cart.

The driver turned and looked at him. "Nice jump, Ali. Stay down, and we'll have you inside in no time."

"Thank you Amir. You are a brave man to help me like this."

"You are a brave man to do this. Stay under the tarp until I give you the word that it's all clear."

 

[Jewelskye]

The inside of her chambers at the bottom of one of the palace's curved spires were cool, even with the layers of luxurious veils Yasmin wore. Everything but her eyes were covered, and those intense golden depths were currently focused onto yet another piece of fabric she had around her, a small needle darting in and out of the light, delicate fabric.

Most would have trouble embroidering such dainty material, but her deft movements spoke volumes about how sure her movements were. As the needle passed in and out of the fabric, a soft hum left her lips. There were no windows to give sunlight into the chamber, but there were never any windows to her chambers. Her brief meetings with sunlight were in the private courtyard just outside her bed chamber, surrounded by high walls with no way for people to see over them.

A life of seclusion was nothing new to this fabled princess, and she thought nothing of the fact that she had only her maid to keep her company. Of course she knew there were guards in the hall, stationed outside the set of heavy double doors that gave way into a small room with yet another set of doors.

Such were the precautions the Sultan took to keep any eyes from viewing his daughter. Of course she knew he loved her dearly and only wanted to protect her from the harsh cruelties of the world and the monstrous people in it he always spoke of.

The room she sat in was large and lavishly decorated, a bed of cushions and pillows surrounded by long shimmering white veils hanging from the ceiling in one corner while a setee currently in use by herself was across from it. A large gold gilded harp was nearby, as were several other means for the princess to entertain herself.

There was even a small table with a tray full of goodies and drinks for her to snack on throughout the day until the maid brought her her meals.

 

[fukensploogin]

Ali

Ali made his escape from the banana cart when it came to a halt, somewhere underneath the main palace. the kitchen. he was swift, and moved through the dank, dark dungeon corridors.

Ali was no cartographer. He could not draw maps. But he did know where the palace blueprints were hidden: in the Grand Library, at the very top of the Palace, comprising the upper half of the great building. This is where the country's collected knowledge now rests. Scrolls and books, by the thousands, many of them confiscated in the first few months of Imperial occupation, so many years ago. Ali had spoken with the Palace's architect, and had paid a high price for the information, as this was not common knowledge. No one outside the Imperial Council has access to the Library. Most people do not even know it exists, believing the upper levels of the palace to be the Sultan's home.

Ali finally found a stairwell going up, and he went up. It wound for several steps, maybe 50, before coming out in a small room.

The two imperial guards in the room drew their scimitars and demanded to know who he was. His answer was to jump off the wall, hitting one of them in the head with the end of his staff as he kicked the other one across the face, sending their heads colliding together.

They tumbled to the ground and Ali cautiously stuck his head out the door, and peered around...

 

[Jewelskye]

((OOC: taking a mild liberty, hope you dont mind)

The guards went down with a mild thud, but it couldn't be heard by the occupant of the room beyond. She was alone now, the maid having left to attend to other duties. These were some of the few quiet moments she'd get that day, and she relished in it, pulling a book from a shelf on her wall. Usually, women were not supposed to learn how to read and write, but she'd been allowed to given how little her other activities were to occupy herself with.

She sat there reading, and didn't even hear the outer door of her chambers open. It was just a small, plain room with another set of doors that lead into the bedchamber of the princess.

Of course, there was no way for the would-be intruder to know this. The next door he would open would swing forward slowly, and his nostrils would be blessed with the fragance of flowers as he found himself walking into a luxurious bedchamber.

As the door opened, the beautiful, almost song-like voice of the princess would grace his ears. "You're back sooner than usual, Nanai. Did you finish your tasks so quickly-?" she asked, setting the book aside as she turned some on her seat.

Instead of Nanai, her maid, she found herself staring at a young man. A roguishly handsome young man dressed in the robes of a priest.

From the veils covering the woman before him a pair of golden eyes stared out at him, locked on him in wide-eyed surprise. "Who are you?" she whispered, backing up a step or two as she watched him warrily.

 

[fukensploogin]

Ali

This was most unexpected, Ali thought. Those golden orbs pierced through and held him in his tracks. He could not break her gaze.

"I am someone who is not where I am supposed to be," Ali said, but still he could not look away from her.

 

[Jewelskye]

She found herself at a loss as she watched him. Her mind raced. He was right about that, he wasn't supposed to be here. No one was supposed to be here. What should she do? Should she scream? Should she try to run away?

Standing there, she couldn't bring herself to move. She was frightened of him, but at the same time she was curious. After all, she'd met so few people and here she was face to face with someone who looked nothing like anyone she'd ever seen.

"No one is supposed to be here... Only three people have been in this room since I Was a child..." she whispered, more to herself than to him, though loud enough to be heard.

 

[fukensploogin]

he listened to what she said. Could she be some secret princess, locked away from the world by that bastard, the Sultan?

Ali brought his hand to mouth, raising one finger and putting it on his lips: "Shhhh"

He walked towards her, unsure of how to proceed, praying that she wouldn't sound an alarm. He wondered if she could help him find his way into the Grand Library. He wondered if he should kidnap her. She was clearly a prized possession, under such heavy guard and intense isolation.

 

[Jewelskye]

For every step he took forward, Yasmin found herself taking one back. And then he told her to shhh. Maybe she should scream then? He was not where he was supposed to be and he wanted her to be quiet. Even for her naive mind, something told her this man wasn't supposed to be in the palace at all.

Her hands, gloved in satin, reached behind her, feeling to be sure she wouldn't bump into anything as she backed away from him. Was he one of those evil people her father had warned her about? she wondered.

 

[fukensploogin]

Ali

He then asked her a simple question: "Do you know how to get to the library?"

 

[poohlive]

Sagrin did not bother to linger at the prospective entrances anymore. He merely stood outside, waiting patiently for the maid to finish her chores. They seemed endless at nights, drawing out like some bladed scimitar from its respected sheath.

Nanai had many chores for the night, preparing and fixing food, getting clothing, bedding for the princess. She ran around for nearly twenty minutes here at night right before bed.

In the years preceding, he had hated these trips. They took him away from the princess, made her weak and vulnerable to attack. As time went on though, when months passed into years, Sagrin heeded it less and less. No one would attack the princess, no one even knew she existed.

In the end, all he had to do was make sure that Nanai didn't accidentally bring in some drugged food or poisonous linen. It was a boring job, and the ancient days of warring and battle lingered in his bones.

He had gotten stuck from leading armies to babysitting.

Sagrin was glad to see Nanai finally emerge from her position, as he escorted her back to the chamber. A number of hallways, curving stairs that emerged upon the room.

The two guards were down on the floor. His mind had no time to think they were sleeping. They lay at too odd an angle for sleep. No one could sleep like that comfortably, no one would puposely put themselves in that position.

He leaned down, checking their breathing, the heartbeat strong in their bodies. Alive, that was good...

What had happened? Sagrin was unsure, but he saw the door slightly opened, and his own sword, a sleek and curved falchion, emered from his side.

"Go," He whispered to Nanai, who just stood there, puzzled by all of this. He had no time to explain. He did not know who was all inside there, what state the princess might be in. His mind already whirred to tactics, actions, the slice of his weapons over flesh.

It was exhiliarating. Much better than escorting maidens around for common tasks. His blood boiled with anticipation.

He whispered in Nanai's ear what to do. She nodded, going to the door, peeking her head inside.

"Princess, is everything all right?"

Her hand showed him one finger. A single man. A single man had done all of this? Snuck into the palace, dropped two guards and was now...

What was he doing?

Sagrin didn't know, but he waited for an answer. He had to be calm, patient. If he moved too soon, he would fall like these common soldiers beneath him.

 

[Jewelskye]

Yasmin was still staring wide eyed at the man in her chambers, intense gold eyes locked on him, her lips parting to answer his question when the voice of her maid rang into the room. Nanai? I'd almost forgotten about her... she thought. Her lips were still in their movement for a moment as she watched the young man, unsure what he would do or if her saying anything would frighten him into action.

Finally came the decision that she had best answer before Nanai put up a panic and really messed things up. "I'm fine, Nanai..." she answered in her soft, sweet as honey voice. A voice not even Sagrin himself had heard so clearly. Only Nanai and her father knew such a sound.

Her eyes darted past the man to her maid, then back to the man again, watching him and waiting to see what would happen.

 

[fukensploogin]

In one of the moments while she was looking back and forth, Ali had moved swiftly and silently, in an instant leaping across the room and finding refuge in the spacious darkness underneath this captive's bed, stirring the room like a gentle breeze.

That's what she was, a captive of the sultan. Ali wondered if he should set her free now, or later, come back for her when they storm the castle...

her golden eyes were burned in his mind, and they were all he saw when he closed his eyes.

 

[poohlive]

Name: Sagrin
Age: 32
Hair: Short cropped black hair, like that of a soldier.
Eyes: hazel
Skin: tanned and olive
Build: lean and muscular.

Sagrin opened the door further, softly and quietly as he did so. He pushed it far enough so that if someone was behind it, he would know. The room was quiet, soft, and he could see nothing out of place.

Sagrin had only been inside the room a few times before, when it was required of him. The rest of the time he spent with different young soldiers who were supposed to guard this door with him. No one had taken permanent post here, most transferring as soon as they could.

Sagrin asked for this job personally though, and he never regretted his decision.

He saw Yasmin, standing in the middle of the room. Nanai had moved to her, standing close, protecting. She was a good maiden, strong too. The kind who would do well if she learned the sword.

His own falcion was massive in his arms, poised and ready to fall on the infidel. He was quiet though, not making a sound, his feet soft against the floor.

He mouthed, "Where is he?"

Not even a whisper. His eyes darted to windows and blankets and drapes, anywhere and everywhere an intruder could hide.

 

[fukensploogin]

Ali

his breath was lighter than a whisper... he calmed himself, slowing his heart rate, knowing now that there was real trouble. the captive had been joined by two people: presumable, her maid and her guardian. There were two entrances to this room: the one he came through, from the underground of the castle, and the one that led to the rest of the castle grounds and his mission. how had he had the misfortune of wandering first into this prisoner's elegant cell?

underneath the bed was clearly the only obvious place for him to hide: he would be found out in a matter of seconds. Was his mission already a failure? if the Guardian was alerted to his presence, which he suspected the captive had already done, was the whole castle up in arms already?

he had escaped the Sultan's warriors before; bested many of them in combat. he was not frightened of this guardian. He saw that the captive, her maid and guardian were on one side of the bed. Silently, he pushed himself out the otherside, used his hands to push off the ground and was instantly on his feet, staff in both hands, pointed towards the three people. the dark brown hood of his robe covered his face. he tensed his legs, his feet, ready to leap.

 

[Jewelskye]

Yasmin turned, a whirl of scarves and veils, finding her staring wide eyed at the ruggedly handsome young intruder staring in her room. He held a staff at the ready, and despite the danger she knew she could possibly be in, she was not afraid.

Even when Nanai and Sagrin hadn't been here, the princess hadn't truly been afraid, she'd been nervous. But now she was closest to the intruder, within arms-length infact.

This didn't occur to her. The distance between them wasn't forefront on her mind. Only the fact that he was the first new person she'd seen in years remained on her mind.

She could say nothing, wide gold eyes simply staring at the young man as she stood there, Nanai just behind her at her elbow, and Sagrin behind that.

 

[fukensploogin]

He felt those golden eyes upon him again, but now he summoned all his will and forced himself to focus on the Guardian, the man with the big sword between him and the door leading to the rest of the castle. He could not worry that there could be a trap waiting for him just outside. Perhaps the alarm hadn't been triggered. He heard no commotion outside.

The girl was standing within arm's reach of him, yet she was not trembling in fear. She had no reason to be; he was not there to harm her in anyway. the only menace in the room was the big swordsman between him and the door.

He scanned the room again, and found a suitable exit path: a leap off that wall, then off the ceiling could put him right behind the swordsman, perhaps shock him and just hit him on the head with his staff and knock him out, then make his mistake. he tensed to make his leap...

 

[poohlive]

The intruder was just a boy? Some young kid with a stick that had probably gotten lost trying to steal some trinket from the treasure room, a prank to impress his street rat friends.

"You got in over your head a little bit, boy. This is not where you wanna be."

His first priority was Yasmin. He moved closer, but not to attack, only defend. He needed to get between Yasmin and the intruder.

"You can still leave now with your life, friend. You do have skill, but I doubt you can take all of Allah's armies."

Another step, closer to her, and closer still. Why did she not move, why couldn't she stand behind him? Did she not realize she could be hurt, kidnapped, raped or killed by this man?

He gritted his teeth. No, of course not. She knew nothing of these things, being locked up for so long, all she knew was this one room. A new person would probably be fun for her.

"How about it, friend, the door is open to you. I will even give you a few seconds start before I call for the guards. You must leave now."

Another step, closer to her, almost there.

 

[fukensploogin]

Ali was quick to take the big swordsman's invitation... as the Guardian invoked Allah's name, Ali took three quick steps and took off, leaping at the wall, kicking it twice with his feet to launch him upwards, spinning. His staff in his hand, he extended it as he spun around, and it whirred just above the heads of the tall Guardian, rustling his hair. Ali took one kick off the ceiling and landed an instant later on his feet, in front of the door. The three people in the room saw his bushy black hair for only a moment before it was covered by the hood of his baggy robes, and he was out the door.

Ali stands back in the shadows, just past the door, his staff at the ready to knock out the Guardian when he steps out. There was another door to the dark space he was in, and it was open, and only fifteen feet away. He could be out that door in a heartbeat, he knew, if the wrong person came out. And then he would just have to brave all of Allah's armies.

 

[Jewelskye]

*****

 

[poohlive]

He stood in front of her. His poise strong, majestic, unnerving. He watched the man do his little flying show before disappearing out of the door.

Sagrin waited a few moments, making sure the person did not come back.

"Oh thank the heavens, Yasmin, what were you thinking?"

He was in front of her now, looking at her, a mixture of releif and frustration passing over him.

"Did you not realize he could have hurt you, or worse? It is not safe, strangers are not safe Yasmin. That is why I am here, to protect you."

He had sworn an oath a long time ago, to be her guardian.

"Are you sure you are ok? Did he say anything, tell you any information?"

 

[Jewelskye]

Yasmin was still in mild shock, still fighting to register all that had just happened. When Sagrin turned to look at her, she lifted those wolf like eyes to look up into his. "I... Forgive me, Sagrin... It just happened so quickly..." she whispered.

Turning her back to him, she moved over to sit on the settee once more, picking up the book she'd been reading earlier.

She flipped open the pages to where she'd left off, and tried to concentrate on the words there, but she couldn't focus. Still, she had to pretend. She couldn't let them know her mind was still lingering on the strange young man who'd snuck into her room.


~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, a guard came up the steps, ready to relieve one of the two that had been posted at the door. This particular guard, however, was experienced and much more intellegent then the two baffoons he saw laying unconcious outside the princess' door.

His footsteps stilled and he crouched into the shadows of the steps, watching Ali. He hadn't spotted him yet.

Now... the guard was intellegent, but he wasn't a genious...

And with that he lept out of the shadows to the top of the stairs, pointing his falchion at the intruder. "What have you done with the princess?!" he hissed.